


Scarlet Sunsets

by KyberHearts_And_StardustSouls



Category: star wars AU - Fandom, star wars alternative universe - Fandom
Genre: Autumn, F/M, Fluff, Love, Millicent - Freeform, Pudge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 05:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16361504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyberHearts_And_StardustSouls/pseuds/KyberHearts_And_StardustSouls
Summary: This is a follow up toStarfire Dawn





	Scarlet Sunsets

 

The leaves crunch beneath her paws and she jumps at the sound. And possibly the feeling. Another leaf falls from above, and she chases after it. Running start, leap, and... catch! She proudly holds the red maple leaf between sharp teeth once she lands. Then she lets go, because...  
... another leaf. And another. Quite a few more, actually.  
  
More leaves. More chases. More daring leaps.  
Stalk and lunge. Pursuit and pounce. Sometimes with graceful elegance. More often than not with awkward clumsiness. But always into piles of gold, crimson, and amber. And always when the wind carries more her way.   
  
Easy and colorful prey.   
If she was a Bengal tigress on an actual hunt, her targets would likely not stand a chance. But she’s not. An orange tabby, barely a year old, she’s not even one-thirtieth the size of her very distant relative. That doesn’t take away from her fierceness. The way she keeps chasing those leaves. Long jumps and rolled catches. Little meows here and there. If she was a Bengal tigress, those little meows would likely be fear-inducing roars. A thought that makes her human laugh.  
  
Click. Click. Click.  
The sound makes her jump, and her human laughs again.   
“Armitage?” Her human’s best friend draws her attention. “Don’t you have enough pictures of Millie playing in the leaves?” There is amusement in the question, but it doesn’t deter Armitage from taking another picture.   
  
The slender redhead pulls himself to a stand, his Leica D-Lux hanging by a strap around his neck. “Never.” He smiles and leans a kiss onto blond tresses. “Your turn,” he whispers, still smiling, the back of one of his hands running over rosy cheeks. Autumn equinox, after all, does not just bring colorful landscapes but also chilled air. And chilled air usually means wind-whipped cheeks. A sight he very much adores, especially today.

   
“You want me to play in the leaves?”  
Armitage’s head falls back with a laugh. “Yes, Darling. I want you to chase the leaves. If you could jump and catch like Millie, that’d be swell.”   
That hint of sarcasm in his voice doesn’t sit well and he is met with a quirked brow.  
“I’m kidding, Athena. No.. no... careful. Watch the camera.” Armitage shields his Leica from an onslaught of thrown leaves, but his good mood doesn’t falter. If anything, her sudden, playful outburst makes him fall even more for her.

His Love.

His Darling.

His Starfire Dawn.

His Athena Phasma.  
  
“Come on, Darling. I was kidding... I was kidding,” he wheezes through another laugh, and Athena stops throwing leaves at last. She pouts but only for a second, pout trading for one of her signature wide smiles, and Armitage's heart skips a beat.

  
He leans another kiss onto Athena’s hair then meanders towards the bag he's dropped by a tree when they’d first arrived. He pulls a plaid blanket from the bag and makes his way to a large pile of red-tinted leaves, Millicent following at his heel the entire time. He’s trained her like that since the day he's found her, glad he doesn’t really need to keep her on a leash whenever they go for one of their little outings, especially today.   
  
Armitage lays the blanket close to the pile of leaves then makes his way back to the bag, this time pulling a tripod from it, Millie once again following his every step. He sets up his camera, Millicent weaving between his legs. “Alright. I was thinking... you sitting to my left, Millie and Pudge... Where is Pudge?" Armitage scans the area, laughing when he finds the white Persian cat staring his way. Unimpressed blues and a bored yawn is all Pudge offers, but that doesn't bother Armitage. Nothing can or will alter his good mood. Not even Athena's grumpy cat. Especially today. 

He refocuses attention back on his camera. He fiddles with aperture and shutter settings and adjusts the height of the tripod one more time. "Anyways," Armitage whispers. "Pudge and Millie between us. But first a few pictures of just you?” He looks over his shoulder and Athena agrees with a nod.   
  
She makes her way to the blanket and sits down, pulling her long legs to her side. “Like this?”  
“Perfect, Darling.” Armitage nods and starts clicking away. He doesn't have to direct much. Athena is a natural.

   
She changes pose a few times, Millicent occasionally finding her way to the tall blonde, always pressing her head against arms and legs before returning to Armitage. Even Pudge makes his way over. Mostly to ensure that Millicent knows Athena is his human, because he, too, rubs his head against arms and legs, a little pushier than Millicent, something that makes Athena laugh, and Armitage's heart, in turn, skip a beat. How much he loves her laugh. Her whole face smiles when she laughs like that. And capturing her like that, genuinely happy, well... it's one of his favorite things, especially today.  
  
A few more pictures then Armitage sets up the remote shutter release and checks to make sure everything is still in frame and in focus. He does a test run, Millicent once again at his side. And surprisingly, Pudge too. He kneels next to the orange tabby, scratching her ears with one hand and reaching into the bag with the other. "Ok now, Millie. Just like we rehearsed," he whispers, clicking a different collar in place. "Stay." Armitage motions with a flat palm while he gets up. "You too, Pudge. Stay. Remember. Not until I call," Armitage whispers yet again, his cheeks turning rosier than they already are. 

The cats sit, blues and ambers carefully tracking Armitage as he makes his way towards the blanket, his heart picking up speed with each step, the remote for the shutter release nearly crushing under his nervous grip.

"Ok, let's hope this works." Armitage takes an anxious seat next to Athena. He pushes a button on the remote and hears the shutter go off. "Sounds to me like it's a go." He smiles and keeps a finger on the button while draping his arm around his Love.

Athena giggles when he places a tender kiss against her temple, and again when he squishes her close to his side, all the while keeping his finger on the button because he wants to make sure he captures every single moment. Especially today.

A few more kisses, a few more giggles, and Armitage's heartbeat is near one continuous strum. His voice cracks when he calls for Millicent and Pudge, something that makes Athena laugh wholeheartedly. He doubts she recognizes that it's due to him being near to a complete wreck now rather than the crisp autumn air.

The cats sit, confused at the display, and Armitage clears his throat and calls for them again. They trot his way, Pudge's gait a proud strut, whereas Millicent... "Millie!"  

It takes but one crimson-colored distraction and she's off for the chase. "Millie! Millie... come here! Millie!" Armitage is fast on his feet, chasing after his cat who seems to have forgotten everything they'd rehearsed. "Millie!" The orange tabby dashes through gold-crimson piles. Not even a treat can convince to follow the voice.

A heartfelt laugh at the despair is followed by a cross-armed stance and stern brow, and suddenly Millicent stops. She knows to listen to the towering figure in front of her. "You just want to play, don't you?" Athena snickers when she picks up the cat, the orange tabby purring in her arms. "What's this?" Athena's hand goes to Millicent's collar where she fiddles with an attached velvet box. She opens the box, an elegant silver diamond ring coming to view. 

"Well, this is not how it was supposed to go." Armitage's voice draws Athena's attention behind her. She blinks a few times between Millicent and Armitage who is running a nervous hand over the back of his head. "But since you already saw," Armitage drops to one knee and captures Athena's free hand between his. "My Love. My Darling..."

"Yes." Athena whispers.

"But I haven't even..."

"Yes." Athena laughs.

"Maybe I was going to ask to adopt another kitten."

"Yes to that too." Little tears collect at the corners of Athena's eyes.

"I have to ask. Just to make sure."Armitage chuckles. "Will you be my wife?"

"Yes!" 

Millicent jumps from Athena's arm and rubs her head against Armitage. He takes the ring from the box and slips it onto Athena's finger, at last, then pulls himself to a stand, a gentle smile gracing his face when he slides his arms around her waist. One finger on the button of the remote to the shutter release, his camera captures the perfect moment: a silhouette kiss during a crisp autumn's eve, the shadows of Millicent and Pudge at their sides, edges tinted in scarlet hues of a setting sun.


End file.
